New York has several different criminal-record systems, and they are not interchangeable. The Office of Court Administration provides a public statewide court-record search known as CHRS; the Division of Criminal Justice Services maintains the state’s official fingerprint-based criminal history or “rap sheet”; WebCrims helps with selected active criminal court matters; local police and sheriffs maintain their own arrest and investigative records; and the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision maintains state incarceration and parole information.
First decide which New York criminal-history record you need
New York’s public court search and its official fingerprint-based criminal-history record are different products. The easiest way to avoid a false “no record” conclusion is to start with the type of information you actually need.
Public statewide criminal court history
CHRS searches public electronic court data for open/pending cases and public convictions using an exact name and date-of-birth match.
Official New York RAP sheet
DCJS maintains New York’s official fingerprint-based criminal-history records and allows individuals to request their own record.
Upcoming criminal appearances
Useful for selected criminal cases with future appearance dates. It is not a full historical criminal-record search.
Arrest or investigative record
Contact the agency that created the record and use its records-access or FOIL process where appropriate.
Official case document
Use the court of original jurisdiction for complaints, dispositions, sentencing records and certified case documents.
State prison / parole information
Use DOCCS when the person is or was in New York State correctional custody or parole supervision.
New York OCA Criminal History Record Search (CHRS)
The New York State Office of Court Administration Criminal History Record Search is the state’s official public statewide court-record background search.
OCA currently charges $95 per statewide search. Searches can be submitted through the online Direct Access system or by mail.
Exact Name + DOB
OCA searches the exact first name, last name and date of birth submitted. Name or DOB variations are not automatically searched.
All 62 New York counties
The report can include public criminal cases originating from County/Supreme, City, Town and Village courts, subject to historical and legal limitations.
Open OCA Direct Access
Start from the official CHRS page and choose the online Direct Access option.
Enter the exact legal name
OCA requires the full first name and full last name used for the search.
Enter the exact date of birth
CHRS relies on an exact match of the name and DOB submitted. A wrong date can produce no result even when a public case exists.
Review the report carefully
Look at court, docket/case information, charge and disposition information. Do not treat a pending matter as a conviction.
What the New York CHRS report does not show
A $95 CHRS search should not be interpreted as a complete nationwide criminal background check. New York’s own court system publishes several important limitations.
| Information | Included in CHRS? | Important limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Public New York criminal convictions | Generally yes | Subject to sealing, court policy and electronic data availability. |
| Open/pending New York criminal cases | Generally yes | Youthful-Offender-eligible pending matters are not reported. |
| Federal criminal cases | No | Use PACER or the appropriate federal court. |
| Other-state criminal history | No | CHRS is New York State court information. |
| Sealed records | No | Sealed cases are excluded from the public CHRS result. |
| Family or civil cases | No | CHRS is focused on criminal history. |
| Violations / infractions | Generally not reported as criminal dispositions | These are not treated the same as criminal convictions. |
| Town/Village court data | Limited historically | Disposition data is unavailable for May 1991–2002 and limited for 2002–2007. |
Use WebCrims for selected active criminal court cases
New York eCourts provides access to WebCrims, which is designed primarily for selected criminal cases with future appearance dates.
WebCrims can be helpful when you already know there is an active case and want the next court date. It is not a replacement for OCA’s statewide CHRS.
Useful for
Upcoming appearances and active criminal calendar information in participating courts.
Not designed for
Complete historical background checks.
Important limitation
New York Courts states WebCrims does not display warrants, finished cases or sealed cases.
Request your own official New York State criminal-history record from DCJS
The New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) is responsible for maintaining New York State’s official criminal-history records.
This official criminal history is commonly called a RAP sheet. It is fingerprint-based, and it can contain arrest, indictment, conviction and sentence information reported to DCJS by police, prosecutors, courts and other criminal-justice agencies.
Choose suppressed or unsuppressed
Decide whether you want a response that excludes sealed/suppressed information or one that includes qualifying sealed and suppressed information available to you.
Use the correct IdentoGO service code
DCJS currently lists 15464Z for a Suppressed Record and 15465F for an Unsuppressed Record.
Attend the fingerprint appointment
Bring acceptable identification and pay the applicable fingerprint-processing fee.
Wait for the mailed response
DCJS currently says Record Review responses are returned by U.S. mail, generally within three to four weeks after the agency receives the request.
Suppressed vs. unsuppressed New York RAP sheet
Suppressed Record Review
This version does not include certain sealed or suppressed information that would ordinarily be hidden under New York law.
Unsuppressed Record Review
This version can include criminal-history information that has been sealed or suppressed, including qualifying dismissed cases, violation/infraction matters, certain drug-related sealing, CPL 160.59 sealing and youthful offender adjudications.
Requesting your own unsuppressed record can be particularly useful when checking whether old cases were sealed correctly or when trying to understand why a public search and your official record look different.
Current DCJS fingerprint fees and processing
| Request situation | Current published amount | Important note |
|---|---|---|
| Living in New York State | $17.50 | DCJS lists this IdentoGO fee effective February 2, 2026. |
| Living outside New York State — IdentoGO center | $57.45 | Current amount published by DCJS as of February 2, 2026. |
| Out-of-state Cardscan submission | $17.50 | Additional local fingerprinting costs may apply depending on who takes the prints. |
| Fee waiver | Available in qualifying circumstances | Request the Record Review fee-waiver application directly from DCJS. |
DCJS fee-waiver requests can be initiated through: RecordReview@dcjs.ny.gov.
Mailing address
Records Review UnitNew York State Division of Criminal Justice Services
80 South Swan Street, 5th Floor
Albany, NY 12210
New York police reports, arrest records and investigative records
Police and arrest records should normally be requested from the agency that created them. New York State Police only maintains records associated with State Police arrests and investigations; local police and county sheriff records remain with those local agencies.
Identify the originating agency
Determine whether the arrest or investigation involved New York State Police, NYPD, a county sheriff, city police department, town police or another agency.
Locate that agency’s records-access page
Look for “FOIL,” “Records,” “Police Records,” “Records Access Officer” or “Public Records.”
Describe the existing record
Give the incident number when known, incident date, location, involved names, DOB when appropriate and the specific record sought.
Expect possible redactions or exemptions
FOIL creates access rights but also contains exemptions. Not every investigatory record or personally sensitive detail must be released.
How New York FOIL fits into criminal-record research
New York’s Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) provides access to many existing government records, subject to statutory exemptions.
FOIL can still be useful for other agency records, such as qualifying police reports, administrative materials, policies, statistics or other releasable records held by a government agency.
New York agencies generally respond to a reasonably described FOIL request within five business days by producing the record, denying the request or acknowledging receipt and providing an estimated response date.
For standard paper copies up to 9 × 14 inches, New York law generally authorizes a fee of up to 25 cents per page unless another fee is established by law. Electronic-production or extensive-reproduction costs can follow separate actual-cost rules.
Statewide FOIL information: New York FOIL NY.
How to search for warrants in New York
New York does not provide one unrestricted statewide public warrant database that replaces every court and law-enforcement agency.
WebCrims itself does not display warrant information. If you are checking a current warrant, use the court handling the case or the law-enforcement agency responsible for the warrant.
Known case
Contact the court clerk using the docket/case number.
Known arresting agency
Check that police department or sheriff’s official warrant or records procedures.
Personal legal concern
Confirm directly with the court or law-enforcement agency rather than relying on an old third-party warrant listing.
Get a New York Certificate of Disposition
A Certificate of Disposition is an official court document showing what happened in a criminal case.
It can identify the charge, conviction if any, conviction date and sentence. Unlike a CHRS result, the Certificate of Disposition comes from the court of original jurisdiction and carries the court’s official certification.
Typical published fee
$5 per certificate.
Typical published fee
$10 per certificate.
New York Courts says requesters may need photo identification and the case docket number. A court may also request DOB, Social Security number and/or arrest date to locate the correct file.
Request criminal court files directly from the correct New York court
The New York court system recommends requesting court records directly from the Clerk of the Court or County Clerk that maintains the case.
This is often the right path when you need:
- criminal complaint or information
- plea information
- sentencing order
- Certificate of Disposition
- motion or court order
- older case material not visible online
Official starting point: Getting Court Records & Case Information .
New York City criminal court records require attention to court level
In New York City, the Criminal Court handles misdemeanors and lesser offenses, arraignments and preliminary felony proceedings. Felony prosecutions can proceed in Supreme Court, Criminal Term.
New York County Criminal Court
100 Centre StreetNew York, NY 10013
Handles misdemeanors, lesser offenses, arraignments and preliminary felony matters.
New York County Supreme Court, Criminal Term
100 Centre Street / 111 Centre StreetNew York, NY 10013
Handles felony prosecutions and other criminal matters within its jurisdiction.
New York prison and parole records
The New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) provides official tools for locating incarcerated individuals and people under parole supervision.
Incarcerated Individual Lookup
Use the DOCCS lookup to find qualifying individuals in state correctional custody and facility information.
Parolee Lookup
Search individuals currently or formerly under New York State parole supervision by NYSID, DIN, name and/or birth year.
New York sealed records, Clean Slate and expungement
New York generally uses record sealing rather than broad criminal-record expungement. Certain marijuana convictions are an important exception because state law provided for expungement of qualifying offenses.
Cases that may already be sealed automatically
New York Courts explains that some cases are automatically sealed or closed from ordinary public view, including qualifying favorable dispositions, youthful offender matters, crimes committed by children and certain violations/traffic infractions.
CPL 160.59 sealing after 10 years
Some individuals with no more than two misdemeanor convictions, or one felony and one misdemeanor conviction, may qualify to petition for sealing after the statutory waiting period, subject to exclusions and court approval.
New York Clean Slate Act
New York’s Clean Slate Act took effect on November 16, 2024. The Unified Court System has until November 16, 2027 to complete implementation of automatic sealing for eligible convictions.
General Clean Slate waiting period
Three years after sentencing or release from incarceration, whichever is later, subject to statutory eligibility requirements.
General Clean Slate waiting period
Eight years after sentencing or release from incarceration, whichever is later, subject to statutory eligibility requirements.
Most non-drug Class A felonies, including murder, and sex offenses are not eligible under the Clean Slate automatic-sealing provisions described by New York Courts.
Official information: New York State Clean Slate Act.
What to do if your New York criminal-history record is wrong
One major reason to request your own DCJS Record Review is to check whether the state’s criminal-history information is accurate and complete.
DCJS sends challenge information with Record Review responses. If a disposition is missing, incorrect or a sealed case is appearing improperly, supporting court documentation can be important.
Get your official DCJS record
Use fingerprint-based Record Review rather than relying only on a name search.
Identify the incorrect event
Note the arrest date, court, docket/case number, charge and incorrect disposition or sealing status.
Obtain court proof
A Certificate of Disposition or seal order can provide strong documentation of the correct case outcome.
Submit the DCJS challenge
Follow the challenge instructions included with your Record Review response.
Federal criminal-history records in New York
New York CHRS and DCJS records do not replace federal criminal-record systems.
PACER for federal court cases
Use PACER for federal district, appellate and bankruptcy court records. Registration and federal access fees may apply.
FBI Identity History Summary
If you need your own FBI fingerprint-based Identity History Summary, use the FBI Identity History Summary Check .
New York DCJS Record Review office
New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services
Alfred E. Smith Building80 South Swan Street
Albany, NY 12210
Record Review:
518-457-9847
518-485-7675
Record Review responses are mailed; DCJS states that they cannot be picked up in person. Check the current DCJS instructions before traveling.
Different process
DCJS does permit inspection of qualifying public agency records through its FOIL office by appointment, but its criminal-history RAP sheets are specifically excluded from the FOIL process.
New York criminal-history search tips that save time
Choose OCA or DCJS first
CHRS is public court-history research. DCJS is your official fingerprint-based New York RAP sheet.
Exact-match searches are unforgiving
A typo, former surname or wrong DOB can cause CHRS to return no result.
Each alias can cost again
OCA treats an additional alias or DOB variation as another search.
Use WebCrims for upcoming dates
If you only need a future criminal court appearance, WebCrims may answer the question without a CHRS order.
WebCrims is not historical
Finished cases, sealed cases and warrants do not appear there.
Get the disposition
A Certificate of Disposition is often the cleanest way to prove exactly how a particular case ended.
Do not FOIL a RAP sheet
DCJS explicitly says criminal-history records cannot be requested through FOIL.
Town/Village history can be incomplete
CHRS has historical gaps in Town and Village disposition data, especially before 2007.
Clean Slate is still being implemented
A record that may ultimately qualify for automatic sealing can still appear before statewide implementation is complete.
Using New York criminal-history information for employment or licensing
A public criminal-record search is not automatically equivalent to a legally compliant employment, housing or licensing background check.
DCJS fingerprint-based employment and licensing checks are available only when a federal, state or qualifying local law authorizes the agency or employer to obtain them.
Consumer reports supplied by private background-screening companies can also trigger federal Fair Credit Reporting Act obligations and other employment or housing rules.
New York criminal-history records: frequently asked questions
1. How much does a New York statewide CHRS search cost?
The New York State Office of Court Administration currently charges $95 for a statewide Criminal History Record Search based on the submitted name and date of birth.
2. Can I get another person’s official New York DCJS RAP sheet?
Not simply to check whether that person has a criminal history. DCJS says its official criminal-history records are not public and are disclosed only as authorized by law. Individuals can request their own record.
3. What is the difference between OCA CHRS and a DCJS RAP sheet?
OCA CHRS is a public court-record search using exact name and date of birth. A DCJS RAP sheet is the official fingerprint-based New York criminal-history record maintained by the state’s criminal-justice agency.
4. Does WebCrims show finished criminal cases?
No. New York Courts states that WebCrims does not show finished cases, warrants or sealed cases. It is primarily useful for selected criminal cases with future appearance dates.
5. Does CHRS include federal criminal cases?
No. OCA states that the New York statewide CHRS report does not include federal court information. Use PACER for federal cases.
6. Can I use FOIL to request my New York criminal-history RAP sheet?
No. DCJS specifically states that criminal-history records cannot be obtained through FOIL. Use the DCJS Personal Record Review process instead.
7. What is a Certificate of Disposition?
It is an official court-certified document showing what happened in a particular criminal case, including charge, conviction if any, conviction date and sentence.
8. Where can I look up someone in New York State prison?
Use the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision incarcerated-individual lookup. Local jail detainees should be checked through the applicable city or county correction system.
9. Is New York Clean Slate already fully implemented?
Not yet as of September 2026. The law took effect November 16, 2024, and gives the Unified Court System until November 16, 2027 to complete automatic sealing of qualifying convictions.
10. What should I do if my New York RAP sheet contains an error?
Request your official DCJS Record Review, identify the incorrect arrest or disposition, obtain supporting court documents such as a Certificate of Disposition, and follow the challenge instructions supplied by DCJS.
Official New York criminal-record resources
- New York Courts — Criminal History Record Search
- OCA CHRS Online Direct Access
- New York eCourts / WebCrims
- DCJS — Requesting Your New York State Criminal History
- DCJS FOIL Requests
- Certificate of Disposition
- Getting Court Records & Case Information
- Criminal Records & Sealing
- New York State Clean Slate Act
- DOCCS Incarcerated Individual Lookup
- DOCCS Parolee Lookup
- New York FOIL NY
- PACER Federal Court Records
- FBI Identity History Summary Checks